Welcome to the new website for the NPL Hockey Club.
Twenty years ago the Club was strengthened by a merger with the nearby Lensbury Hockey Club. Operating out of the grounds of the NPL Sports Club in Teddington the Club currently has teams in the (Mens) Surrey Open Hockey League – Divisions 3 & 4 and in the (Ladies) Middlesex Hockey Association – Division 2.
The Club’s aim is to promote hockey through fitness training, encouraging a spirit of camaraderie and play friendly but competitive hockey for all ages and abilities. Regular training sessions are held at the St Mary’s all weather pitch in Teddington.
Apart from the season’s Saturday matches, there are occasional mixed hockey games on Sundays and participation at Hockey Festivals during the year.
Many of our league team players came through our family hockey programme which exists to interest and encourage children from 8 upwards in the sport. It is not unknown for both parents and their offspring to play in the same team. Great rivalry!
As well as the sporting side NPL run a number of social events throughout the year and membership of the hockey section entitles you to use the excellent Clubhouse with catering and a bar at Club prices.
We are actively looking for new members. If you have just ended playing a contact sport such as rugby or football this could be the time to rekindle those competitive juices. Hockey can be played up the age of 65. If you used to play, maybe at school, this coming year might be a good opportunity to dust off that stick, put on the shin pads and get to meet a few likeminded people. And if you are looking to stay fit and healthy and like the idea of a team sport hockey is ideal.
Whatever your inclination we hope you’ll get in touch and benefit from what we believe is the best team sport for all ages in the UK today.
Nigel Scandrett
Club President
NPL Hockey Club as it exists today is the result of a merger in 2000 with Mid-Surrey and Lensbury (the Shell members club), but all three have much longer pedigrees:
Their roots can be traced back to the founding of NPL Sports Club in 1921 and Lensbury Sports Club in 1923, whilst Mid-Surrey was one of the earliest hockey clubs formed, dating from the late 19th century. In common with most large employers of the day, NPL and Lensbury were part of Staff Sports Clubs, but post-war started to extend membership to guest players, and by the millennium were, as today, open to all.
With the introduction of league hockey in the 60s and 70s, followed by the advent of astroturf, the clubs flourished, with NPL and Lensbury fielding some 2 dozen teams between them, and participating in tournaments and tours near and far. In addition there were Sunday fixtures, mixed hockey, indoor hockey, mid-week leagues and summer games. For many years NPL hosted a renowned Easter festival on grass, which attracted up to 30 clubs from home and abroad.
But as other local clubs who could offer their own astroturf and clubhouse complexes attracted more players, membership here gradually declined, and the grass pitches were colonised by footballers. As 2000 approached, Mid-Surrey had been evicted from their regular base, and following a re-appraisal of the management and structure of the Lensbury Club by Shell, Lensbury too were looking for a new home, although they still had use of the Broom Road pitch. NPL enjoyed the benefits of their own clubhouse on the Queens Road site, but by then were playing home games in Feltham.
The result was a three-way amalgamation: First the Mid-Surrey men joined Lensbury, then shortly afterwards NPL and Lensbury merged, which despite some head scratching over a new club name, proceeded smoothly and amicably and formed the basis of the current club – which will soon be able to celebrate its Centenary at NPL.
We will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.